Chinese construction equipment manufacturer Zoomlion has supplied two heavy-duty tower cranes for the construction of the Lugu Lake Grand Bridge in southwestern China, helping crews complete a 283-meter main tower on the Shangri-La side of the crossing.
The tower reached its topping-out milestone on September 29, according to Zoomlion. The bridge is part of the Xichang–Shangri-La Expressway, where construction across mountainous terrain requires precise lifting and positioning of large structural components.
The project used two of Zoomlion’s R4300-200 tower cranes, one serving each of the bridge’s main towers. The equipment is designed for heavy lifting at height, combining high load capacity with automated safety systems and remote operation capabilities.
Cranes lift 200-ton loads at mountain bridge site
The R4300-200 has a maximum lifting capacity of 200 metric tons (220 US tons) and an 80-meter jib (262 feet). Zoomlion says the crane incorporates more than 20 intelligent safety and control functions, including collision prevention, automatic operating-speed adjustments based on load, and mechanisms designed to prevent suspended loads from slipping downward.
These capabilities were particularly relevant during the final 103 meters (338 feet) of construction on the Shangri-La side tower. Crews had to position the final steel and concrete sections above the central crossbeam, where changing wind conditions added to the challenges of maintaining load stability and alignment.
Live camera feeds allowed operators to monitor lifting operations and control the cranes remotely from ground level. This arrangement provided visibility of component positioning while allowing operators to make precise adjustments during installation.
Zoomlion said the segment-lifting work on the tower was completed safely. The announcement did not specify the bridge’s full length or when the entire crossing is expected to open.
Customized cranes support Istanbul skyscraper
The bridge project follows Zoomlion’s work on the 380-meter (1,247 feet) tower housing the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye at the Istanbul International Financial Center.
Unlike the bridge tower, the Istanbul project involved a high-rise building that combined steel framing and precast concrete on a constrained urban construction site. According to Zoomlion, the project required 1,260 heavy lifts, including steel columns weighing up to 48.2 metric tons (53.1 US tons).
To meet those requirements, the company customized its L760-50 luffing-jib tower crane, which has a maximum lifting capacity of 50 metric tons (55 US tons) and a maximum jib length of 60 meters (197 feet).
Its modular mast sections measure 2.3 meters (7.5 feet) on each side, allowing them to be transported in standard shipping containers. Each crane also required 10 custom connections to the building, engineered to meet local seismic requirements.
Variable-frequency drives regulate lifting, rotation, and jib movement, enabling smoother starts and stops and finer adjustments when positioning heavy components. Wind-speed monitoring provides warnings and reduces operating speeds when preset thresholds are exceeded.
Remote monitoring helps manage maintenance
Zoomlion also used remote monitoring technology to track equipment performance during the Istanbul project. The system transmitted 28 operating parameters, including load data, component temperatures, operating hours, and fault codes.
These measurements helped teams assess equipment wear and plan preventive maintenance. Zoomlion’s research and development team in China worked remotely with engineers in Türkiye to diagnose issues and support maintenance, aiming to limit downtime.
The company says its equipment selection and technical support helped sustain a construction pace of one floor every five days for the main structure. Support also covered crane placement, installation feasibility studies and dismantling simulations.
Applying heavy-lifting experience to new projects
Zoomlion says experience from the bridge and Istanbul projects is informing its work on other high-rise developments, including the 377-meter (1,237 feet) Ciel Dubai Marina hotel, Dubai’s 400-meter (1,312 feet) Al Habtoor Tower and Indonesia’s 331-meter (1,086 feet) Oasis Central Towers.
The projects show different demands on tower-crane engineering. Bridge construction requires accurate placement of structural sections across exposed sites, while skyscraper construction can demand compact equipment configurations, custom building connections, and continuous coordination as structures rise.
In both cases, crane capacity is only one part of the challenge. Control systems, wind monitoring, installation planning and maintenance support also affect how safely and efficiently heavy components can be positioned at height.